John Ford

Personal Info

Known For

Directing

Known Credits

38

Gender

Male

Birthday

1894-02-01

Day of death

1973-08-31 (79 years old)

Place of Birth

Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA

John Ford

Biography

John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach (1939), The Searchers (1956), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath (1940). His four Academy Awards for Best Director (1935, 1940, 1941, 1952) is a record, and one of those films, How Green Was My Valley (1941), also won Best Picture. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ford directed more than 140 films (although nearly all of his silent films are now lost) and he is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. Ford's films and personality were held in high regard by his colleagues, with Ingmar Bergman and Orson Welles among those who have named him as one of the greatest directors of all time. In particular, Ford was a pioneer of location shooting and the long shot which frames his characters against a vast, harsh and rugged natural terrain.

Known For

  • Filmmakers for the Prosecution

    Filmmakers for the Prosecution

  • Screen Director's Playhouse

    Screen Director's Playhouse

  • The American Film Institute Salute to ...

    The American Film Institute Salute to ...

  • Spanish Western

    Spanish Western

  • The Tornado

    The Tornado

  • The Horse Soldiers

    The Horse Soldiers

  • The Scrapper

    The Scrapper

  • Shooting War

    Shooting War

  • Backstory: 'How Green Was My Valley'

    Backstory: 'How Green Was My Valley'

  • Undercover: How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines

    Undercover: How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines

  • The Birth of a Nation

    The Birth of a Nation

  • Monument Valley: John Ford Country

    Monument Valley: John Ford Country

  • Five Came Back

    Five Came Back

  • John Ford & Monument Valley

    John Ford & Monument Valley

  • The Purple Mask

    The Purple Mask

  • John Ford: The Man Who Invented America

    John Ford: The Man Who Invented America

  • National Geographic Explorer: The Battle For Midway

    National Geographic Explorer: The Battle For Midway

  • The American West of John Ford

    The American West of John Ford

  • Omnibus: John Ford, Part One

    Omnibus: John Ford, Part One

  • 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

    1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

  • The Screen Director

    The Screen Director

  • The Size of Legends, The Soul of Myth

    The Size of Legends, The Soul of Myth

  • Directed by John Ford

    Directed by John Ford

  • John Wayne's 'The Alamo'

    John Wayne's 'The Alamo'

  • The Trail of Hate

    The Trail of Hate

  • Show-Business at War

    Show-Business at War

  • Fonda on Fonda

    Fonda on Fonda

  • Ton Diagonismon Dia Thn Anadixin Tis Star Ellas

    Ton Diagonismon Dia Thn Anadixin Tis Star Ellas

  • Big Time

    Big Time

  • The Western: A Lost TV Special

    The Western: A Lost TV Special

  • My Name Is John Ford, I Make Westerns

    My Name Is John Ford, I Make Westerns

  • A Study in Scarlet

    A Study in Scarlet

  • Lucille Love: The Girl of Mystery

    Lucille Love: The Girl of Mystery

  • John Wayne-A Life on Film

    John Wayne-A Life on Film

  • The Bandit's Wager

    The Bandit's Wager

  • John Ford's America

    John Ford's America

  • Serenity at Sea: John Ford and the Araner

    Serenity at Sea: John Ford and the Araner

  • The Broken Coin

    The Broken Coin